ST:2009 one shots
by x.xOracles.Shadowx.x
Summary: Title pretty much says it all. These will be born of boredom, so expect randomness.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, Oracle here! Sorry I dropped off the radar for a bit. For a while there, it seemed like some higher power had decided to make my life as horrendously difficult as possible. -_-; Right now I'm waiting on my school to tell me if I've made it in to the second year of my course, and the waiting is KILLING ME! **

**As an alternative to ripping my own hair out, I decided to post some fanfiction. xD These are going to be a series of one shots, some of which might be a little AU, but nothing too heinous, I don't think. No worries, 'Fixing her heart ...' and the sequel to 'Whatever you do ...' are in the works! Like I said, I've had a little bit of a fanfiction writer's block going on, but I will try. Without further ado, or bitching from me, enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: Yada yada, you know the drill. I own nothing except the laptop I'm typing this on. Reviews/ Critiques are both welcome and love. Flames= Smores. _**

When Nyota figured out how Jim and Spock felt about each other, and that they'd been dancing around the issue for months, she wasn't as surprised as she figured she should have been. She did, however, have one question. The xenolinguist looked at her ex as the two sat in her room, and she gave him a critical look. "Doesn't it bother you, though?".

"To what are you referring?".

"When he flirts with all those women. Doesn't it bother you?".

"To be bothered by it would be illogical.".

"Oh, don't give me that. You just told me you're in love with your very male Captain, and now you're pulling this 'Illogical' crap?".

Spock placed his mug of herbal tea on the table the two were sitting at, and glanced at his hands as though he were thinking of an appropriate answer. He looked at his ex girlfriend turned closest friend, and seemed to decide that to try talking his way out of this would be futile.

"You are correct, Nyota. And in answer to your question, yes, Jim's flirtations did bother me.".

"That's better. So, what changed?"

"Time, and the realization that flirting is in Jim's nature. He really cannot help it. However, since discovering how it affected me, he has made efforts to refrain from flirting.", Spock explained. He'd have to pry it out of her with a crow bar, but Nyota had to admit that by doing so, Jim had earned some serious 'best friend' brownie points in her book.

'Which, knowing Kirk, he'll probably need to cash in sooner rather than later.', she thought to herself.

"Well, at least he's showing some maturity. If I were you though, I'd have blown a gasket when that Andosian princess started flirting with him at the meeting last night.", Nyota conceded. She still didn't like Kirk, per say, but Spock loved him and she loved Spock, so she'd deal.

"I confess, the thought did occur.", Spock admitted. "However, it is in situations such as those where I remind myself that he will not be leaving with them, but with me."

Nyota laughed at that as she read between the lines. She was happy Spock was embracing the human side of himself, and that he was happier because of it and Kirk. The following week, however, she saw that Spock was still learning to practice what he preached when an female scientist began flirting Jim while off planet. Though he would deny it with his last breath, Nyota read it on his face clear as day when he moved to 'alert the Captain to some interesting finds', effectively interrupting the woman's attempts.

She bit her tongue to stop herself from laughing when she read and translated Spock's facial expression as he lead Jim away. 'He loves me, he loves you not. So back the hell off, bitch.' _

**Hah... I love the idea of a subtly jealous Spock. xD And Uhura would probably be a really cool best friend. Hope you enjoyed it.  
Until next time! (L)**


	2. Chapter 2

Here's another one-shot, m'darlings. These aren't following any specific time line; just when I find something that amuses me, I use it. This one was inspired by a K/S thumbnail I found while trolling the internet one evening. It was green, and was a screen shot of Spock when he had Jim pinned to the consol and was choking him, with the words, 'Spock will choke a bitch!'. That image just popped in to my mind for some reason, it seemed like something Kirk, in his badassery, would wear on a t-shirt, and boom, this was born! :) I have no idea who created the thumbnail, but I don't own it, and I thank you for providing me that inspiration. :)

This one goes out to **ShamelessSpocker** (I LOVE your name.) This doesn't deal with the playboy side of Kirk, but it made me smile, thinking of Jim sticking up for the memory of Spock's mom. Your review made my day, and I hope you enjoy this one. :)

Disclaimer: The only thing of Star Trek that I own are the DVDs, so clearly, I don't own Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry and J.J. Abrahms own these gems. I wish I owned it, and if someone could give me the rights for Christmas, I will love you for forever and a day.

Also, completely unrelated to the story, R.I.P. Gary Coleman. I still can't believe it. _

"'Spock will choke a bitch'? Captain, I fail to see how this helped negotiations.", Spock commented, standing next to Jim in the sickbay as Nurse Chapel patched he and Bones up.

Neither commented, but Bones laughed while Jim flashed that special grin of his. Spock sighed in quiet indignation, yet still wanted to sink in to the floor and die. Instead, he wrote a memo for Beta shift to keep a close scan for any near by Romulan transmissions, and to keep their phasers ready in case of attack.

As the First officer walked out of the sickbay, not paying any notice to the good doctor's comment on how Jim was 'in for it this time', he sighed once again. Such was the way Jim Kirk did things, the Vulcan supposed. Speak first in blunt honesty, ask questions later, and damn the consequences as long as the truth was revealed and the Federation was safe. In a moment of lost control, Spock rubbed his temples tiredly. He wondered if Spock Prime ever had days like this.

Somehow, the Science officer didn't think the Romulans would take kindly to Jim's choice of attire to that particular meeting, after the disaster that was Nero. Jim, in his infinite and highly questionable wisdom, decided standard Starfleet uniform to be unnecessary on his trip to the summit.

Instead? He wore a basic black t-shirt with, 'OBEY US!', in white lettering on the front, while on the back, in neon green letters, were the words, 'Or Spock will choke a bitch!'. To an intergalactic summons, regarding the reuniting of Vulcan 2 and Romulus.

Obviously, the Romulan high counsel was not amused. The story was that, somewhere between the opening comments and the appetizers, Jim had managed to offend the Romulans to the point where he and the present landing party - which Spock had been part of - had been involved in a physical altercation with most of the Romulans present.

In his defense, Spock had only left Jim and McCoy by themselves in the meeting hall for five minutes! Ten, at the most! Scott had needed his assistance with some variables, and he had been only too happy to oblige, thinking the situation well taken care of with his father and counter part keeping an eye on Jim. And then, the yelling and phaser fire began, and Spock thought he'd perhaps made an error in judgment, namely leaving Jim and McCoy with the innocent counterpart of the Nero responsible for the destruction of Vulcan, as he and Scott ran back to provide assistance.

Apparently, Jim had explained later upon entering sickbay after running from angry Romulans who'd yelled every insult and slur known to the Federation at them, after Spock's departure, a derogatory comment had been made about the Lady Amanda, and the commenter had voiced the opinion that Sarek should remarry.

Sarek, to his credit, had remained calm and composed, telling the speaker that their comment was unwarranted, unnecessary, and unwanted, and said no more on the matter. Jim... Not so much. In the words of the highly amused yet phaser burned McCoy, in response to the insult to the Lady Amanda's memory, Jim 'told him where to go and how to get there. He called the Romulan bastard everything but a white man, and when the guy made to pull out his phaser, Jim socked him in the face and told us to run'.

Which in turn lead to the crew of the Enterprise running as fast as humanly possibly to the shuttle and safety. Spock was quite sure that he would be fielding calls from angry and offended Romulans from then until Christmas for this one, and oddly enough he knew, as sure as Jim knew he would understand, that he'd have done the exact same thing in his Captain's position. Though he appreciated the defense of his mother's memory more than words could really say, Spock hoped that, next time, Jim would consider accomplishing it in uniform. Good t-shirts were hard to come by in deep space, after all, and Spock had found it particularly amusing when Jim attempted to keep the shirt's purchase a secret.

Such was the way of Jim Kirk, Spock sighed to himself. Illogical, compassionate, loving fool that he was, and after serving with him for a year, Spock still couldn't find anything about Jim he would change.

'Hm. Define ourselves, indeed.', he mused with a smile, taking his seat at the Science controls just as the bandaged and bickering Jim and McCoy walked on to the bridge.  
_

Oh Jim. What will he do with you?

A little fluff at the end there. I couldn't resist! xD

Anyway, hope you liked it. :) Reviews = Love. Flames = Smores. (And I have mint chocolate ice cream, so smores really aren't necessary.)  
Until next time! (L) Oracle.


	3. Chapter 3

Another one to start the day off, m'lovelies! All I can really say about this one is that I absolutely love Bones. (And DeForest Kelley, and Karl Urban, but I digress. xD) He's just so damn awesome, you can't help but love him. A big thank you to all the lovely readers who read and favorited this or my other stories, or me as an author. Seeing those emails put a huge smile on my face, so I hope I don't disappoint. :)

A huge thank you to **ShamelessSpocker **for your reviews so far. I agree, Spock should just attach a GPS system to Kirk or something. Or maybe hire the Star Trek equivalent of Super Nanny. xD I'm so glad you like this so much. :D And I feel your pain, I've got some long stories in the works, but just no time to work on them. One shots are lovely things though. I highly recommend them for getting the creativity going, or just ending boredom. :D

And big thanks to **Andalusia25** for your review last chapter. Lol thank you! I hope it made you smile. :) Yeah, Spock had no idea what he got into when he fell for this particular human. xD The poor guy. He's definitely in for an adventure. At this point, I really don't have a set destination for this story; it'll more than likely be a bunch of one shots. :) Though I am working on a Bones/Uhura chapter, and one for Sulu/Chekov, so there will be a couple more chapters, including some surprises. :)

Disclaimer: I'm in no way affiliated with anything to do with Star Trek, except the fandom. As such, I'm making nothing off of this except amusement for myself, and perhaps entertaining some lovely readers. :)

Bones stood on the bridge of the Enterprise, looking at the face of his best friend and his Science officer in exasperation. He rubbed his forehead, then crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, wait, let me see if I've got this right. Your father asked if Jim was your mate."

"Essentially." Bones had never seen a look so near to mortification on the Vulcan's face, but his mind was too blown to take note of it right then.

"And you, being the idiot you are, said you were."

"Pretty much." Jim scratched the back of his neck, but shrugged as he answered.

"So, you went and had these two morons bonded. Does your race not have any self preservation instinct whatsoever?", Bones asked Sarek in bewilderment. No one wanted those two looney toons together more than he did, but from a strictly reproductive stand point, it didn't seem very (he cringed at the thought of the word) _logical_.

"That is correct." Sarek seemed determined to cling to the 'Impassive logical Vulcan' appearance, but Bones was willing to bet his last bottle of Jim Beam that he was kicking and screaming on the inside.

"Okay. So now, you two can't come back to the Enterprise because there's some kind of honeymoon tradition you need to complete before you can leave New Vulcan?" Only Jim Kirk could go to a planet populated by the most irritatingly logical creatures within the entire Federation to deliver supplies, and call back home to say he'd gotten roped into a shot gun wedding. For half a second, Bones felt an urge to threaten Spock's life if Kirk came back pregnant.

"Precisely. It would violate every marriage tradition in Vulcan society, as well as the 'Non Interference'-", Spock began to explain when Bones waved his hand suddenly.

"Yes, Spock, I know. Whatever you may believe, I know the Starfleet regs as well as you do, so I do know just what will happen if you and Jim skip out on this ceremony thing.", Bones growled in annoyance. Damn hobgoblin. And damn Jim anyway, for getting them in to this mess. "You know the whole of Starfleet is going to have a heart attack when they hear about this, right?

"Wouldn't be the first time.", Jim brushed off.

"Your mother and Sam are going to kill you for getting married without telling 'em. And Uhura almost fell out of her seat when she heard. Sulu had to take her for a walk to get her to cool down while I figure out what to do here.", Bones retaliated, seeing a satisfactory amount of color drain from Jim's face. He didn't know if it was in response to his mother, his brother or his Communications officer, but Jim seemed to know he'd have hell to pay for this. At the mention of Uhura's reaction, Spock seemed to be particularly troubled, and Bones couldn't help but snicker.

"I did try to point this out to him, several times." Jim shot the Vulcan a glare, and refrained from commenting.

"Just sit tight and wait for the explosion. I'll check on you later." Bones hung up without another word, then sighed as he sat in the Captain's chair. Being a senior officer really sucked sometimes.

Until next time, folks. Hope you enjoyed it, and have a great day. :)  
Feedback and reviews are always welcome. :) And if you must flame, do yourself a favor and make yourself a smore whilst you're at it. :)  
(L) Oracle.


	4. Experiment chapter: Fine

Hey guys. I was browsing through my pictures, and found one depicting the 9 Deadly Words Women Use. When I was reading it, a plot bunny decided to beat me over the head with this idea (Vicious little buggers). The definition of 'Fine', according to this list is:  
**This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.**

I don't know why, but I just saw Spock doing this when he and Jim had gotten knee deep in a really stupid argument that wasn't even worth logically getting out of. So, this was born. I don't think it's that good, but consider this my way of apologizing for letting procrastination win in regard to the 'Whatever you do ...' sequel. xD I might continue with the other eight and see how they turn out (I'm working on the conclusion to this one right now, because I will hate myself if I leave these two wonderful boys mad at each other. :O ).

Anyway, enjoy. The next regularly scheduled chapter will be up soon, and it'll feature Scotty! :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the laptop I'm using to write this on.

The nine deadly words of the Enterprise: Fine

It had been a long day, and Jim was just goddamn tired. As the captain walked into his quarters, he hated everything and everybody. He hated the Romulans who'd taken it upon themselves to blow holes in his goddamn ship. He hated the backup Starfleet sent, who'd only shown up _after_ they'd repelled the two birds of prey who'd tag teamed the Enterprise. He hated Starfleet because of the bureaucratic bullshit they'd hit him with from left, right and center. Never mind the fact that they'd attacked them first! No, because he'd returned fire after being fired upon to save his ship and crew, he was at risk of a reprimand!

'Next time I'll just let the bastards sink the fleet's flagship, shall I? Would you like me to strip down and bend over while I'm at it?', Jim fumed as he tore his shirt off, eager to take a shower and forget the idiocy he'd faced that morning.

And, to make his day absolutely peachy, he and Spock had gotten into an argument after shift, so now his mate (both First and romantic) was pissed off at him. And Jim had no idea what he'd done, so how in the hell was he supposed to fix it?

He asked; the entire crew had seen him all but beg Spock to tell him what was wrong. But no no, Spock wouldn't just come out and say what was bothering him, so Jim had needed to press him for answers, since he was his mate and it was kind of his job to keep him happy. It took fifteen minutes of him asking nicely, combined with the stress of the day, to make Jim just lose it.

He wasn't sure what happened first; him grabbing Spock in the hallway and demanding to know who the hell shoved that stick up his ass, or Spock telling him to politely fuck off so he could meditate in peace, because Heave forbid that his Vulcan tranquility should be interrupted by Jim's human emotions. Excuse him for caring! He'd said as much, and in hindsight, that probably wasn't the best move to make, as Spock turned around and slammed the door to his old room in Jim's face without another word.

Jim had stood in shock for a second, and then, completely ignoring Bones' warnings for him to just back off and give the Vulcan some room, slammed his hand into the communications console to the room. Spock didn't answer, but Jim knew he was listening, so he said that, if Spock was going to act like this, maybe they should just spend the rest of the night apart so they could both cool off.

Spock's response? 'Fine.' No protests, no apologies. Just 'fine'. Bones had dragged him out of the hallway and to his quarters before the young captain broke something.

Jim fumed as he turned on the shower, standing under the pounding water. He refused to admit that he missed the smell of Spock's tea coming from the other room, or that he missed Spock in any way. Damn it, he was not in the wrong here, even if Bones told him that he was an idiot for not just backing off and giving him space instead of arguing with him.

What the hell did Bones know about it anyway.

I'm sorry, Jim... I'll make it up to you. (And to you, lovely readers.) I apologize for the vulgarity in this chapter, guys. I was having a really bad day when I started this, so Jim wound up a tad snarky. (It was hot as hell, and there were dogs barking and ice cream was falling on the floor and phones were ringing everytime I sat down. It was just bad. I was most displeased.)

Conclusion (Thanks) will be up in the next few hours, at the latest tomorrow morning, possibly along with the next regular chapter featuring Scotty. In the conclusion, Jim will find out exactly what's eating Spock. (Hint: Two words, one of which begins with F.) And an appearance of Spock Prime! (Oh Leonard Nimoy. (L) )

Until next time, folks. Have a wonderful afternoon/evening/morning, depending on your timezone. :) Let me know what you think. Reviews = Love. Flames (though this one may deserve them) = Smores.  
(L) Oracle.


	5. Chapter 5 Sarek and Amanda

**Hey guys. It's been a while! Hope everyone is well. =) Sorry this has taken so long. Hopefully this makes up for the time lapse! I know I said this one would feature Scotty, and it does so I didn't technically lie, but it's not focused on him. That one hasn't been typed up yet. This one is focusing on Sarek and Amanda, and Sarek's life on New Vulcan without her. I absolutely love Sarek and Amanda; other than K/S and Uhura/McCoy, they're my favorite. Some details, like how Amanda died and how Spock and Sarek reconciled, are proabably off, but I'm a little foggy on those details. **

**It gets a little preachy, I feel, towards the end and I'm sorry if that gets on anyone's nerves, but I started thinking about how emotional I would get if anyone ever tried to badmouth my mom's memory, and it just spiralled from there. And as for why I make Stonn such a bastard... I don't know. I tried writing T'Pring as the bad guy, but her dialog just wasn't working for me. (And if you've read Spock's World, you'd know that she's an evil bitch. But for her appearance in this, I claim inconsistency due to alternate timeline. If Spock and Uhura can date (Seriously. WTF?), T'Pring can be something other than manipulative. xD)**

**Oh, while writing this, I received a wonderful little plot bunny that I've been thinking over. Luckily it's summer, because I REALLY want to write it (Omg, you have no idea how badly I want to get started on it.), and it'll take some time to write it properly. It's Star Trek, clearly, and it'll feature all our favorite people. There are two ways it could turn out; I could do justice to one of the most badass ST characters of all time. Or, I could entirely butcher it, and it could fall off the radar. Kudos (No, it's not him.) to anyone who's figured it out already, but there's a hint or two in the story. I think that's about it. Enjoy. =) Thank you guys for your reviews and comments on the other chapters, reading them made me so happy! Hope I don't disappoint. **

**Disclaimer: I own nada, except my laptop, the DVDs, and my phone. Please don't sue; the only thing you'll get is my time, which I need. **

The subject of Amanda's life and death was a sensitive one around Spock's home on Vulcan. He and Sarek spoke of her often in passing, especially when Sarek had gone through a trying day, or if he and Spock were sharing their memories of her with Jim. Though she was openly spoke of and remembered within the walls of Sarek's home, the only ones who could speak of her outside of it and not fall prey to the older Vulcan's glare were Spock because he was her son, Jim because he was their son in law, and T'Pau because Sarek knew better than to assume his unspoken ban on Amanda's mention applied to her.

Most Vulcans understood and respected the Vulcan elder's wishes and left Amanda's memory to rest. (Their prejudice against had Spock faded as well, partially due to a security breach in the Enterprise's computer banks. The footage of Spock kicking Jim's ass around the bridge like a hackey sack after he insinuated that Spock had never cared for his mother was somehow sent to New Vulcan and showed to the populous. Along with it, the archive footage of Spock's childhood fight at the Academy was played directly after, along with the comments the other children had made. To that day, Jim and Chekov would vehemently deny any and all involvement, and Spock Prime had remained entirely too silent on the matter to be considered innocent.)

In the rare case that someone did voice their displeasure with Sarek's choice of wife, neither God nor Devil would or could help the poor bastard if Sarek caught wind of it, and he always did. Sarek was one of the scariest Vulcans alive if you crossed hairs with him on the subject of Amanda.

What blew Jim's mind as he watched his father in law was that, whenever a comment against Amanda was made, Sarek never showed that it physically bothered him. He carried on with business as usual, but Spock, and by default Jim, could read the carefully hidden anger, and knew that no matter how many 'That would be illogical's he rattled off, if a debate happened to occur, Sarek's claws came out and he ripped entire metaphorical limbs off of the speaker, in a politely Vulcan way of course.

One Vulcan Jim had come to really despise, Stonn, had been one of the aforementioned poor bastards, and something in Jim had chuckled gleefully as Sarek all but gutted the arrogant Vulcan during a meeting at the Science Academy. After cutting Stonn down to size, Sarek relinquished the floor to the speaker. Before the meeting could continue, Stonn stood up in a clear huff, giving Sarek a look that was the Vulcan equivalent of humiliation. He took a moment to compose himself as T'Pring (Don't even get Jim _started_ on that bitch. She was probably the only one Jim would have left on Vulcan during the explosion.) stayed seated beside him, giving him a look saying, 'Don't make this any worse.'.

"Your human wife has been dead for over two solar years, Ambassador.", Stonn had pointed out. The entire room went dead silent, and Spock's back went ramrod straight as he sat between his father and Jim. Every eye in the room fell to Sarek and Spock, and the elder gave Stonn a look of cool indifference. Though he didn't like him, Jim felt a twinge of pity for Stonn.

'And another one bites the dust.', Jim predicted.

"That would be correct, adviser. Your point?", Sarek asked. Jim was faintly sure he could hear Spock's teeth grinding. He and Stonn had been old friends at one point, until Stonn decided he wanted to take part in T'Pring's cheating on Spock while he was aboard the Enterprise while they were still betrothed. Spock had returned to visit Sarek, and found T'Pring alive and waiting for him with Stonn in the wings. They'd almost been bonded, until Jim and the cavalry arrived to stop the wedding.

"It is illogical for an ambassador of one of our kind's most distinguished families to remain widowed for so long after the passing of a mate. And what with your progidy's choice in mate, you are the only one of your family with the ability to contribute to our kind's continued existence. I must ask, Ambassador, why have you not found a more suitable mate to replace your dead human whor-?" Jim was too shocked to form words while Sarek and Spock stood in tandem, Spock with a homicidal glint in his eyes. Stonn's sure to be bloody murder was interrupted when T'Pau stood suddenly and silenced him with a whack of her staff against the table the council sat at.

"Adviser, that is more than enough. You yourself are not one to condemn the choices of a widower, least of all a superior. I remind you that it was through Ambassador Sarek's actions, and his alone, that Spock did not banish you or T'Pring for your infidelity upon his return, as would have been his right with his victory in the challenge.", T'Pau admonished firmly, her eyes on Sarek as Jim kept a tight grip on Spock's arm while leading him away from the table.

"Lady, I only meant -", Stonn began.

"SILENCE." T'Pau's staff nearly cracked the table when she struck it a second time. The whack echoed around the brightly lit hall, and she continued in the silence. "We are Vulcan, adviser, and are the last of our kind. I know that which you are implying, but it is not your place to do so, and I would advise you" She fixed him with a glare that he recoiled under. "To remember your place. The Ambassador is under no laws of your making, and as such, his choice of mate has been, and forever shall be, his own. Your input is neither needed nor necessary."

"Lady T'Pau, may I speak, since it is clear that the adviser will not let this rest without some answer from myself, and there are far more important things still to discuss?", Sarek asked calmly, his arms clasped behind his back. Spock's eyes rested on his father as T'Pau nodded, and Sarek approached the table. "Adviser, I will allow only one question and one answer on the subject of the Lady Amanda's and my marriage. Speak."

"Why have you not gotten married again after her death?", Stonn shot back. Sarek went quiet as all eyes watched him. Jim had wondered that a time or two himself, but had never asked the elder Vulcan. He'd spoken to Spock about it, but his mate had told him that it was no affair of theirs to become involved in.

"As you mentioned, Adviser, I am an ambassador. In the two years since we began colonization on this new planet, I have returned exactly four times, each time to meet with my son and son in law. In the aftermath of the destruction of our home world, it has been necessary for me to take up the responsibilities of the Ambassadors who were not as fortunate as I in their escape efforts. This has required me to travel to corners of the universe to ratify alliances and treaties, to assist in terra formation, to contribute to the unification of our people and our Romulan brothers and sisters, all the while staying true to my original post of Ambassador to Earth. I have been doing all that can be done from my position to assist in our people's revival and rebuilding efforts, and that has delayed any attempts I may have made in finding a, quote, 'more suitable mate'. Perhaps when our people are again standing firmly amongst the Federation, I will consider potential mates, but now, to divide my time between our home, our allies, our people, and the consuming search for a mate would be reckless, illogical, and ultimately... detrimental to our people's survival efforts. I hope that answered your query, adviser.", Sarek explained calmly. Jim noticed that Spock had turned a rather concerning shade of pale green at his father's mention of marrying again, and that Sarek refused to meet his son's eyes after his explanation.

"A model of logic, as always, Ambassador. We should all be as firm in our convictions as you.", Stonn praised, but to Jim's ears, that didn't sound like a compliment as much as it did a sarcasm laced insult. From the look on T'Pau's face, Jim wasn't the only one who thought that. "However, if they'll allow it, I have a question for your half breed son and his human pet."

"You ignorant-", Jim began to answer fiercely until Spock put an hand on his shoulder.

"Speak briefly, Adviser. The Captain and I are due back to the Enterprise shortly.", Spock ground out, all but daring Stonn to ask his question.

"Spock, we have been acquainted since nearly birth. I thought you, of all Vulcans, would want to do all you could to save your family's good standing, after your father's marriage to your mother compounded on the follies of your brother -", Stonn began to elaborate, and Jim's expression twisted to one of shock. Spock had a brother?

"I said speak briefly, Stonn. If your purpose was to re-educate the council on the short comings of my family, you are wasting the time of all those present. What is the question you wished to ask Jim and I?", Spock cut him off harshly.

"Humans are decidedly harsh creatures, are they not, Ambassador? Your Captain's words to you before your fight aboard the Enterprise prove that. I do wonder what your human mother would say if she were to find out that you had abandoned your people in their time of need to remain bonded to a human male and travel space. Would she be shamed, disgusted? Would that not be what the humans call irony, if your dead mother, who you've caused all manner of shame for your father over, turned you away because you chose this human over a Vulcan?"

Jim couldn't believe how stupid this guy was being. Stonn was pushing every button on Spock's control board, and Jim had the fleeting thought that if Bones had been there, he'd have high tailed it back to Enterprise to get the strongest tranquilizer in the sickbay because damn, we're they going to need it if Spock decided to see if he could pop Stonn's head like a grape. Jim could see the rage as it coiled in his mate's shoulders, but Spock's face remained passive, with only an eye twitch to show that he was quickly approaching the point of no return.

"First, Stonn, that was three questions. However, since you are clearly subpar in terms of academic capabilities, I will permit and answer them.", Spock replied calmly, his hands clasped loosely behind him. "What you've said regarding humans is, in basic fact, accurate. I have only lived amongst them for a short time, but I have seen humans act in revenge, anger, hurt, hate. They can, in the correct circumstances, be savage, unforgiving creatures who would kill many without regret. However, I have also seen them act out of love, friendship, respect, trust, dignity, rationale, and even when the situation was entirely inappropriate, I have seen certain humans act with compassion towards those who truly did not deserve it."

Spock looked at Jim as he said this, and both smiled at the memory, remembering the first of many hushed conversations they'd had in front of someone trying to kill them. Nero, though angry, hurt, and a victim in his own right, had deserved to die a fiery death, but Jim had stopped to try to show him compassion for Spock's sake, thereby laying the foundation for the friendship Spock Prime had so fondly hinted at. Spock's eyes fell back to Stonn, and the smile evaporated like water in the Sahara.

"As to the second and third quandaries, I will say only this. I am not ashamed of my human mother. She gave up her life on Earth because she loved my father, and later changed her customs because she loved me and wished to ease my transition into Vulcan society." Spock's voice broke ever so slightly as he spoke, but his gaze never left Stonn. "I am proud to say that my mother was a school teacher back on Earth, nurturing and teaching life's lessons to those who were fortunate enough to meet her. She gave up her world for love, for the love of a man from a species unlike her own."

"Love is a Terran emotion, Spock. You know it has no place in our world.", Stonn scoffed. Spock closed his eyes for a moment, then held the other Vulcan's gaze. Stonn visibly shook from whatever he saw in Spock's eyes, and it didn't take an IQ like Jim's to figure out why. Spock's eyes were reflecting every emotion he felt, all of the pain and sadness and regret, and Jim knew that his mate was intense when he spoke of Amanda on a good day. Right then, Jim didn't blame Stonn for shaking at that tidal wave of emotion.

"You are correct. It does not have a place in our world. But it had a place in her's, and I am fortunate enough to have been a part of that world. I pity you, Stonn.", Spock answered softly. The words of his mother from so long before returned to him, and it made the next words easier. _'As always, whatever you choose to be, you will have a proud mother._'

"Why?"

"Because your world is devoid of that love that makes the long days lighter and the darkest nights bearable. Your world has no place for love, yet mine does, because of my mother. And I would not trade that world for the respect of all the Vulcan people, living or dead, and especially not yours." Jim had never been so damn proud of his mate as he was in that moment, and he'd also never been so near to crying in front of a panel of Vulcans since he interrupted T'Pring's attempt to press gang Spock into a wedding.

"Your time among the humans has made you weak, Spock.", Stonn intoned, though everyone in the room could see T'Pring pondering the words of her ex-fiance.

"It is truly odd that you would say that, Stonn.", Sarek put in, standing at Spock's side. Spock looked at his father, and Sarek placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "As I believe Amanda would say, to love and be loved in return is the greatest strength a man can possess. And, if I may, I believe I have an answer to your second and third questions. Amanda was too loving a person to ever do anything but love our son, regardless of whom he chose to be with. And if asked, as I did many times after Spock enlisted in Starfleet, she would only say that she was happy he was doing something that made him happy, and that Spock had proved once again that he was indeed his father's son."

Stonn remained silent, realizing that he was face to face with an emotionally united father and son, and that this was one fight that he wouldn't be able to win. The Adviser stood in silence, and that silence was all that could be heard as everyone in the hall processed what Spock and Sarek had explained about the Lady Amanda. Jim fancied he could read regret on many of the faces in the room, and recalled Spock's tale of how his mother had been silently plagued for years by the disapproving stares of the Vulcans whenever she and Sarek made public appearances. An emotional human on a planet of emotionally repressed empaths wasn't a comfortable situation, but Amanda dealt with it beautifully, even managing to bond with T'Pau, who'd been her friend since she'd realized that the Ambassador's wife was no weaker than she for being a human.

The silence shattered when both Jim and Spock's communicators sounded, followed by Bones' voice. 'Damn it, Jim. You missed your check in. Chekov's about to have a heart attack out of panic, so tell us you two are alive and put the boy out of his misery.'

"Spock and I are fine, Bones. Just dealing with a little image problem.", Jim answered quickly, knowing that Bones wasn't exaggerating. Though Chekov could pin down and transport moving targets at 30,000 feet without breaking a sweat, the boy was a stickler for check in time adherence. When Sulu had missed his check in during a recon to an uninhabited alien planet (hereby meaning that Starfleet was too lazy to check it out before, so they sent Kirk and his ship in to investigate), the Russian had needed to be banned from communication access in case his worried call got the away team killed.

'Well get your asses back here. Uhura's picked up some transmissions from a twentieth century space vessel called the _Botany Bay_, and she wants Spock and you to listen to them.', Bones explained, and Sulu's snickering could be heard in the background as he mocked Chekov for his protectiveness.

"We're on our way. Get Scotty to arm the transporter.", Jim replied, receiving an affirmative before Bones hung up on him. He turned to Spock and shrugged. "We're being called back for a bit."

"I heard. Father, council. I apologize for the deterrence our presence has caused during the meeting, but we must return to the ship.", Spock excused.

"Of course.", Sarek agreed. "One can hope that your next visit will be marked in a different manner. Send my greetings to Lt. Uhura."

"Cap'n, Mister Spock. Are ye ready to beam aboard?", Scotty's voice asked.

"We're ready, willing and able, Scotty. Beam us up. Sarek, council members, Stonn, T'Pring always a pleasure. We'll be back soon.", Jim bid farewell as Spock simply preformed the customary 'Live long and prosper' sign as the two vanished into thin air back to the Enterprise.

Sarek watched the spot where his son had been standing moments before, and then felt his son's future counter part approach him from behind. He turned, and was met with a knowing smile trying to hide the utter terror reflected in his eyes. For what reason, Sarek could not guess.

"What is on your mind?", Spock Prime asked, his arms clasped casually behind him. He'd been standing in the upper levels of the hall, being sure to remain out of Jim and Spock's sight during the meeting. Though T'Pau and Sarek were aware of who he was, the other members of New Vulcan were not, and Spock Prime would have preferred to keep it that way.

"I find myself wondering about my counterpart in your time line, and Amanda's. You once told me that the feelings that bind my son and his captain together were present in your time as well.", Sarek answered.

"And so they were. I loved my James Kirk for what I considered the best years of my life, and for those, I wouldn't trade a thing.", Spock Prime answered as the council resumed around them with T'Pau reprimanding Stonn for disgracing the Vulcan Council in front of two Federation representatives. "I sense though that that is not all that weighs on your mind?"

"My other self... Did you and he ever repair the damage done by the argument over your joining Starfleet?", Sarek asked. Spock Prime looked at the floor for a moment, then back up at Sarek.

"Yes, in time. I had been with Starfleet for going on 30 years before we had cause to mend that rift, and Mother had passed on by then."

"I see. And did she know, of your feelings for your Kirk?"

"Mother was the first, beside Bones of course, to know the truth. She knew before I did."

"That was indeed Amanda's way." Sarek stared out the window of the hall, then let out a sigh.

"You are troubled."

"Did I know?" The weight of that question was unmissable. Spock Prime remained silent for what seemed like hours to Sarek, but when he looked up, there was nothing but tired peace in the eyes of his son's counterpart.

"I think, in your heart, you knew. But, you also knew that I was the child of two worlds, and would forever be at conflict with either side of myself. Falling in love with my commander would, in your eyes, do nothing to help that conflict. After a time, and I suspect some meddling from Mother, you saw that my Jim brought me peace and helped me grow as both a man and a Vulcan. As a matter of fact, when I died and transferred my katra to Bones, you were furious because you knew Jim was the only one I would have trusted my katra to for safe keeping, but time was pressing, and drastic actions were needed. You believed in my faith in Jim, and trusted him to bring me back home."

"I am happy for you, and hope my son finds that same happiness. Though I could do without his demise. I have already lost his mother, to lose Spock would be the end of me."

"Rest assured that as long as James T. Kirk lives and breathes, your son will never been lost to you for very long. My Jim always hated how the argument between myself and my father upset me, we had many discussions and arguments on the subject. But, he knew as I did that Vulcans are incredibly stubborn." Spock Prime looked as though he was going to say something else when T'Pau called for him to re-join the council so they could get back down to business. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose."

"A Terran expression? I've not heard any since Amanda was alive.", Sarek commented with a half smile at the memories of the many discussions between he and Amanda about the affairs of Vulcan politics. She'd use the phrase 'No rest for the wicked' whenever Sarek was called away.

"Mother was fond of it. I'm afraid I must be going, the council will not wait forever. And if I'm not mistaken, you're due to leave for the Centauri galaxy within the hour.", Spock Prime reminded him.

"You are correct. I will see you upon my return.", Sarek agreed, then gave the customary sign of farewell. Spock Prime stayed where he was as his counterpart's father walked towards the hall exit, and smiled when Sarek stopped. He turned and met Spock Prime eye to eye.

"I have one more query.", Sarek told him. Spock Prime nodded silently, waiting for him to continue. Sarek hesitated, then spoke. "Spock's words have made me think of what Amanda went through over the course of her life with me. Her life was not an easy one, needing to deal with a society that frowns upon emotional expression. I need to know, did she regret-"

Spock Prime held up a hand. "Father, I promise you this. In any time line, I am certain that nothing could make Mother regret her choice. She made that choice out of love, and loved you every day of her life. Do not let their words make you doubt your life together, short as it was. There are some things that are just meant to be, and you and Mother being together is one of them. I have no doubt that you will be together again."

"When she died, was she..." Sarek couldn't finish the thought, and Spock Prime went quiet for a few moments to think of an answer.

"When Mother died, it broke the heart of every person who'd ever met her. But she died peacefully, asleep in your bed on Vulcan.", Spock revealed. "The entire Federation arrived on Vulcan for the funeral in some shape or form, to support you and our people in this time of loss. But, as you said in her eulogy, she had lived a full life and had a family that she loved, and who loved her."

"I wish I could have made her life easier for her. I... felt selfish." Sarek allowed himself a brief lapse in logic, but that was hardly a surprise when it came to Amanda.

"Each life has its own hardships to deal with. It is how we grow. And Mother never begrudged you living on Vulcan.", Spock Prime answered. The older Spock saw the indecision on the face of his younger self's father, and knew what he was trying to ask but didn't know how. "Father, rest your mind. In time, you and Mother will be together once again. And I am certain that you will make her as happy in that lifetime as you did in this one, and in my own."

Those words seemed to wipe the clouds off of Sarek's face, and he gave Spock Prime a simple nod, then exited the hall while the laughing eyes of his son's counterpart turned from the door to the meeting.

Sarek arrived at his home, going over his mental list of needed belongings to bring with him to the Centauri galaxy. As he rifled through his chest, inspecting clothing to take with him, he came across a wrapped picture frame. Sarek recognized it instantly, and gently unwrapped it. The day after Amanda and he were married, Sarek had requested the photos and videos of their wedding to be uploaded to a set of personal, portable picture frames, knowing of Amanda's love of pictures.

He held the black metal frame in his hands while he sat carefully on his bed, feeling the weight of his years laying heavy on his shoulders. He glanced through the electronic photos, remembering how, though Vulcan weddings frowned upon it, Amanda had told him point blank that she was smiling for her wedding photos, damn it. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Her smile blazed out at him from each picture, taking a little bit of the tension from his shoulders and the headache from his clouded mind.

The Ambassador thought back to Stonn; his tactics earlier had no doubt been his way of emotionally attacking Spock. And bringing Amanda's memory into question as he did had almost, in the words of his son in law, earned Stonn a one way ticket to a world of hurt. Sarek knew Jim would be curious about all he had learned that day, and was anticipating messages from his son about what he could and could not tell Jim. Spock had informed Sarek when Jim began questioning why Sarek had remained widowed so long after Amanda's death, and Sarek had told him to use his best judgment. Clearly, that had not been in error, because Jim knew nothing about his true reason.

To the end, Sarek was glad Jim hadn't come to him and asked. He knew his son in law had good intentions, but those often lead down the road to Hell. Hell, in this case, would be the public scandal Sarek would be faced with until the end of his days should anyone but he and Spock (and perhaps T'Pau, but there was nothing she wasn't aware of.) find out that, great intellectual Sarek was, he would rather face the blood fever and be burned alive than marry or mate with someone who was not his Amanda. It was illogical and unhealthy; he was aware of that. But, after two years without Amanda, Sarek was quickly reaching the end of his rope. At least if the blood fever took him, the pain that radiated from his heart would finally stop, and they could be together once again in a new life.

**Aww... I want to just hug Sarek. ST:2009 was the first exposure I had to Star Trek, but Amanda's death broke my heart. As to the story, Sarek seemed OoC to me towards the end, but I kept re-writing the dialog between Sarek and Spock Prime and none of it really seemed right, but I knew if I didn't let it go, it would just keep kicking around my USB. Although, am I the only one who gets a smile when they think of Spock Prime helping Sarek accept Amanda's passing? Or just a smile at Spock Prime in general? =D And, T'Pau is awesome! I had to include her in this. It's just not New Vulcan without T'Pau. **

**Hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to review. You know the drill with flames; should there be any, I'll be hosting a Hawaiian luau. Everyone is welcome to attend. =) And, now that this is at last finished, I can get to work on my sequels. They're just staring at me from my computer screen, begging to be written... It's kind of creepy.**

**If anyone caught the song reference, I both commend you, and blame GLEE. I love Jesse (aka Jonathan Groff). The day I started this was also the first time I heard him singing the song in question. The song has been stuck in my head ever since, I can't help it. =P So clearly, I own nothing related to any version of the song.**

**So long, folks. 'Til next time.  
(L) Oracle.**


	6. Chapter 6

Montgomery Scott considered himself to be as open minded as they came. Being stuck on a deserted planet gives a guy a lot of time to think, so think he did (Mainly about sandwiches, but a man needs solid food. That was a fact he would swear by.) He liked to think of himself as someone who'd seen it all, done it all and couldn't remember most of it, so he was really in no place to judge the indiscretions of others. He'd also discovered, not two days after being on the Enterprise, that this new crew of his used his open minded-ness, a trait which had been looked well upon but not invaluable, to turn him into a veritable guru in terms of confessions.

Two of the many patients his listening ear had endured were the Cap'n and his First mate. Now there was a disaster wrapped in duct tape at no mistake. They were both so damn reluctant to talk to each other it was nearly unbelievable. Over time, they'd gotten over it, and no one had been more pleased than Scotty himself to learn of the two finally coming to terms with whatever it was they decided lay between them. The Cap'n and Mister Spock deserved happiness, and if they brought that to each other, Scotty wasn't about to throw stones and just enjoyed the non existent tension on the bridge nowadays.

Another visitor to his engine room was one Doctor McCoy, CMO and snarkiest bastard ye ever laid eyes on. Now o' course, Scotty adored the doctor as both a man and a bar tender, and thought it sweet that he be so concerned about Lt. Uhura after her break up with Spock. What he hadn't seen coming was McCoy banging on his door one evening, and fretting to him for an hour over a dinner date between he and Uhura. However, he'd rolled with the punch, and encouraged the CMO as best he could, given that he'd had a long day and more than his fair share of the spirits on McCoy's top shelf.

He'd been on the deck, catching up with the Cap'n on all things ship like and had been shocked to see Chekov and Sulu walk onto the deck, calm as you please. Holding hands. Scotty, amazed at the lack of response from the crew, gave the Cap'n a look in question. Though the Cap'n had been too busy having a conversation with the back of Spock's head to answer his unspoken question, Scotty got the gist of it. What with he and Spock's long awaited awakening, and McCoy and Uhura's unforeseen but surprisingly pleasant meeting, there really wasn't a senior officer on deck who gave a damn about the frat rules. Seeing how happy the two lads were, Scotty couldn't help but go through the rest of his day with an idiotic grin on his face.

Yes, Montgomery Scott was as open minded as they came, and he was damn proud of it. But...

He closed the door to engineering with a loud crash and a muffled curse that he was sure would have earned him a cuff upside the head from his mother had she heard him. He was all for free love and all that rot, but he drew the line when it came to engineering. And as he wrote the memo for the Cap'n to read after he disentangled himself from Spock and removed themselves from the engineering sector, he swore to himself that if he caught one more couple having sex in his engine room _one more bloody time_, so help him, he would not be held responsible for his actions!


	7. Chapter 7

Being a Southern gentleman meant as much to Bones as water to a fish. It was a part of him, sarcasm and straight forwardness aside. It his tombstone read that he was a Southern gentleman, he'd be happy. (And he'd made Jim swear, during one of his more intoxicated days, that it would read as much.) After coming to grips, in his blunt McCoy-way, with his crush on the Enterprise's Communications officer, he'd set out a game plan on how he was to attempt to win the lady's heart. Leonard McCoy was no fool, and knew that the girl was crazy about Spock so it wasn't terribly likely that his plan would ever be needed.

So, four months after Spock and she broke up, Bones began reviewing his plans and thinking of ways to get the ball rolling. He settled on the tried and true approach of asking the blessing of the ex. To his credit, it showed that he had respect for what Uhura and Spock had once had between them and was not a home wrecker or poacher. To his horror, it meant that he had to talk to Spock about something other than Jim's survival and ship business.

It took him three and a half days to work up the courage to ask Spock, but in his defense, he'd seen the hobgoblin toss Jim around the bridge like a rag doll, so he thought the fear was well founded. He'd done everything he could think of to put it off further, and had even sunk as far as trying to press gang Jim into a physical exam, but he'd wound up sitting in his room and running over what he'd say to Spock. He would go, he really would. In another minute or so.

Imagine his surprise when a knock was heard at his door. Bones opened it to find Spock standing there, looking as Vulcan as ever. Straight to the point, Spock revealed that a little birdie (Thanks, Jim.) had told him Bones wanted to request his permission to court Nyota. He also said that permission was given, along with a not so subtle threat to Bones' person should any harm come to her. As he turned to walk away, Spock inhaled, and said with his back to Bones,

"Doctor, I ask only this. Love her as I cannot."

Bones watched him go, and though he didn't say it then, from that day on, whenever he was asked to characterize his ship's First mate, the first words out of Bones' mouth would be that Spock was a gentleman.


	8. Chapter 8

Spock Prime, as Jim called him, missed his time dearly. Of course, being able to revisit his youth alongside his friend's counterparts was a blessing he thanked Surak for daily. But, as much as he valued them and watched over them as best he could, they were not his friends, and the differences between them were hard to ignore.

The McCoy he'd known and served with was not as sarcastic and surly as this one; Joanna was a common feature in conversation with the other McCoy, whereas this one was still too broken from his divorce and separation from his daughter to speak of her often.

The romantic implication between his younger self and this Uhura had surprised him, and he'd assured both the young Jim and his young self that no such feelings had existed in his time. It would have, he'd said, hinged on incest in his time.

Thankfully, the two Scotty's were much the same in both times, except the one in his younger self's time did have a rather curious fixation with sandwiches, but he supposed that no one was perfect and accepted the brilliant Scot all the same.

This Chekov's only difference from his own was that this one had been affected on a much deeper level by the stigma of a child genius that his own had. It was seen in how defensive he became whenever someone questioned the calculations made by a 17 year old.

And this Sulu, though he had the potential to be a phenomenal pilot, was just not as experienced as his own had been. Though, if it hadn't been a potential 'game changer', as Jim would say, he'd have warned him to routinely brush up on his manual flying.

The biggest difference, the one he felt every day, was in Jim. In terms of captaincy, the two were near identical; compassionate, follow-your-gut, do what's right and hang the consequences. Off hours, they were much the same as well; either reading or playing chess or just watching the stars from the observatory. What made them so entirely different was that his Jim had never let himself bring their feelings into real life, while in contrast, this Jim thrived on letting people know that Spock was his as much as he was Spock's.

Whenever he saw it, it made something in him burn with something akin to jealousy. As much as he loved his Jim, that openness between them inspired a tiny seed of hatred and resentment. They could have been together in another time.


End file.
